Submitted by gooberhoover85 t3_zmwymu in providence
Seriously. I've made so many calls. I feel pretty beat down by how impossible it seems to be to get in to see a doctor. I have good insurance but I can't get referrals or tests unless I get a PCP to see me. Should I look in MA instead? What's the secret? Tell me please!
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Ugh, this has been on my to do list for 3 years, I got to get on this.
I found one in Mass. Tristan Medical. Is in North Attleboro. They are accepting patients. I spent a month looking in RI and then gave up and chose the first place to say yes when I asked to be a patient.
Awesome, thanks for sharing this info! I'm sorry you went through a similar experience. It's after 5pm so most places are calling but I'm giving this a shot tomorrow. Do you mind me asking how you've liked this place so far?
They are fast and thorough. I am diabetic, so I have bi-monthly appointments. They are open until 8pm. Most of my appointments are after 5pm. I like them. (Edit a word)
I just spoke with someone on the phone and they were great. I have to get my previous doctor to send medical records but sounds like once that is done I can get an appointment. Seems reasonable to me. Thanks again.
Oh good to know! Thanks again for sharing. First time I've felt optimistic all day about this.
Ocean state medical, they’re very efficient with their process
In the same boat. Advice I’ve heard is if you go into the ER then you can get a PCP that way because they’ll sign you up on the spot if you don’t have one. Seems to work for people, even though it’s kind of messed up you have to do it that way.
That's what several places told me to do but I find that really problematic. I think that would be my last resort but it's good to know if I get desperate. I'm starting to have medical issues and I can actually see it getting to a point that I need to go to the ER anyway. Thanks for sharing this info.
Do you have to actually wait around in the ER?
Yes. You’ll have to wait the longest, too. Since the EMERGENCY room is for EMERGENCIES.
When you do find one it will be a wait before you get a visit too, if I had to guess.
I found a PCP in early January of this year and the first available visit was for the end of June.
That's insane. My health honestly can't wait that long but I really appreciate you helping me set some realistic expectations. And I'm very sorry you had to go through that.
Well thank you kindly. Hopefully you find a PCP soon and don't have to wait like that! Best of luck.
Zocdoc has been really helpful to me in the past. They sort by “accepting patients”
Awesome. I wish they all did that!
Wait I’m not sure I understand your reply. Maybe I didn’t provide enough context? Zocdoc is a doctor aggregating website that lets you search by the type of dr you need. I hope this clears things up!
Oh, got it. Either way it's on my research list. I have a toddler so when I responded it's totally possibly I got side tracked by dinner, bath time, and pajama party time 😂 all the same that is very useful.
I completely understand. Good luck!
Try Village Medical. They are accepting new patients
Thanks for the tip. I'm making a list of all the places mentioned here and this is on the list now too.
Sara Kent PA on Jefferson Blvd takes a new patient every month - I would try her. She’s part of Brown medical and she’s great!
Awesome!
Thundermist!
Brown Medicine I think. They have new people.
I would look through your insurance account! I know for me (BCBS) I was able to go on their website and specifically search for primary care doctors taking new patients
I actually have done this. I've called through 8+ pages of doctors listed as "PCP" and hunting down the correct numbers. I have BCBS too and their list of PCPs seems to be really out of date. It's killing me. I called BCBS and they sent me a PDF of the same list. Most of the numbers are wrong. I'm entering my zip code so maybe that's the problem. I'm surprised it worked so well for you. Possible we have different coverage so maybe that's it? We have BCBS through a company out of Boston.
Sorry it’s been such a hassle for you :/ it shouldn’t be so hard to get healthcare
Thank you, I agree. I'm imagining it wasn't always like this. It's probably just rotten luck that I'm having to do this search now.
CCAP is accepting patients, I think.
I saw you had another reply. It's not showing on Reddit but I have it in an email. Thanks for sharing. I will give them a call tomorrow and try my luck. Big thanks for the clarification.
Sorry, when I Google 'CCAP Providence RI' I get Child Care Assistance Program. Not sure I am familiar with what CCAP is.
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I think they are referring to the Comprehensive Community Action Program. https://www.comcap.org/services/health-dental/
I went to South county health express two weeks ago for a strep test, while there the receptionist noticed I didn’t have a pcp and told me they had one accepting new patients right now, so I booked an appointment for February. Very happy about that, since I have also been experiencing no luck finding one. Give them a call!
Thundermist
It sounds like a fancy name for farts but I'll Google it cause I'm desperate 😂
I went without a primary for like 3 years and they got me in to see a doctor in like a month and theyve been great the past year
That's about how long it's been for me because of pregnancy and moving. It's great to hear how this worked out for you. I appreciate the recommendation. I will check it out.
I wish you the best of luck finding a doctor!!
Do not go there. They almost killed me. Prescribed me medication I was allergic to and gaslit me when I constantly said I felt ill. They also gaslit me about my iud pain and it turns out it was embedded in my uterus. I now have chronic pelvic pain. I could go on, but they're horrific. I have an emt friend who called them a "chop shop". Try open door health. They're accepting patients.
It's unfortunate you went thru that, but not every doctor there is terrible
First look at hospital systems - you can find doctors faster through them
I went to family medical in Seekonk and was able to get an appt within a month
Thanks
Recently got in at midland medical in Warwick
My partner got an amazing PCP at providence community health center recently after going through a very similar slog! They have a sliding scale for those without insurance, too, though I’m glad to hear this isn’t a constraint for you!
Thanks! I actually got on a wait-list there. So I'm hoping when I call back they can get me in. I explained my health issue to them so they know it's kind of urgent for me and they seemed really nice.
I found mine through the Lifespan network. It has taken me well over a year to finally get one booked…in March.
South County Medical recently opened offices in Warwick and Cranston. I go to Warwick and really like them!
Southcoast Primary Care (Swansea and probably other locations)
For me, the secret was getting a nurse instead of a doctor. I’m pretty healthy, so only need physicals, vaccinations, and a couple of prescriptions. My nurse does all of those things. She also does referrals in case I need a specialist.
Took me a while too but I found Dr. Maggiocomo in Cranston
I called Care New England and they connected me and my husband to a PCP. It was a 6 month waitlist though but since then we’ve been able to see specialists pretty quickly after. I also made it pretty clear that I wanted to be seen at Womens and Infants so I was okay with the wait.
Good luck!
I'd love to be seen at Women's & Infants. I'll check that out. And I'm totally ok with being on a wait-list. The 6 months wait is kind of bonkers but I'm still going to check it out. Thanks!!
Unfortunately this is happening nationwide so if you can wait for your physical, I’d just get on a waitlist for now for your preferred provider instead of the quickest provider
Try thundermist health center. It's not the best place but they have lots of doctors (and helpers like DOs and PAs) so you could likely be seen in some reasonable amount of time
Thanks, the reasonable amount of time part is key*.
If for OBGYN avoid at all costs. My wife was SA'd there
Oh gosh, I'm really sorry she went through that. When I was in the Army I was SAed during a pap smear myself so my heart really goes out to your wife. Definitely a hard no to any gynecologic stuff there. Thanks for the heads up.
They decided a cervical biopsy was needed. She said no and they did it anyway. I'm a doctor myself and I'm outraged. That provider is in jail now but still
That's really fucked up. I also can't stress enough how sensitive the cervix is. For someone to do that is the worst. Glad they are in jail. Hope your wife is doing better now.
She's great and I just handle that stuff for her. No means no and it's a complete sentence. However their convenient care js great
FlashbackBob t1_j0eoam6 wrote
I found one by calling blue cross and asking them if any pcps under my insurance were accepting patients. Blue cross web site was outdated, when I used that list online, I got rejections as they were no longer accepting new patients.